Navy helicopters rescue 10 fishermen near Guam

The Japanese commercial fishing vessel Daiki Maru can be seen from Orote Point on U.S. Naval Base Guam. Sailors from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 conducted a search-and-rescue operation and rescued 10 fishermen from the sinking vessel that ran aground near Spanish Steps on Feb. 13, 2014.

Matt Knight/U.S. Navy

Stars and Stripes

Published: February 15, 2014

U.S. Navy sailors rescued 10 fisherman from a sinking Japanese commercial fishing vessel that ran aground in a harbor in Guam on Thursday.

Two Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopters were diverted from a training operation at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct the search and rescue operation. According to a Navy release, the fisherman were rescued from the waters just inside the mouth of Apra Harbor, transported to Naval Hospital Guam for evaluation, and later released.

The Navy along with federal and local agencies deployed teams Friday to assess the environmental damage caused by the grounded vessel Daiki Maru in the outer Apra Harbor. Navy officials say they are developing a plan to tow the vessel off the reef safely and expeditiously.

The U.S. Coast Guard, Guam Environmental Protection Agency, and NOAA, are among the organizations working with the Navy to remove the vessel from the environmentally sensitive area, according to a Navy release.

The helicopter crew was from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 which maintains a 24-hour search and rescue posture in support of the U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Region Mariana.